Women's Basketball Wraps Up Road Trip at Purdue Fort Wayne Wednesday Night

Women's Basketball at Purdue Fort Wayne
Dates/Times	Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.
Venue	Gates Sports Center \| Fort Wayne, Ind.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Record Book
Watch Live	ESPN+
Listen Live	89.1 FM WEMU \| The Varsity Network
Live Stats	Sidearm Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUWBB \| @EMUAthletics
Instagram	@emuwbb \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University women's basketball team has just one game left on its season-long five-game road trip as it will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a contest against the Mastodons of Purdue University Fort Wayne, at the Gates Sports Center Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m.

Fans can stream the game live on ESPN+ and hear all the action with Tom Helmer on the call on WEMU (89.1 FM) and The Varsity Network. Live stats are available on emueagles.com/sidearmstats/wbball. A post-game recap will be posted to EMUEagles.com following each game and fans can stay posted to EMU women's basketball social media @EMUWBB on X, @emuwbb on Instagram, and EMU Women's Basketball on Facebook.

QUICK NOTES
» Eastern is entering the second year of the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh era. EMU posted a 2-27 (1-17 MAC) record in 2024-25.
» Senior Sisi Eleko was named Preseason All-MAC First Team after earning second-team honors following the 2024-25 regular season that saw her lead the MAC in double-doubles (14) and rebounds per game (10.1) while ranking second with 17.9 points per game.
» The Eagles have matched their 2024-25 win total (two) just four games into the 2025-26 campaign as they have the opportunity to surpass it with a win over the Mastodons.
» EMU and PFW are meeting for the fifth time in the all-time series. Eastern holds a 3-1 record against Purdue Fort Wayne and a 1-0 mark when facing it in Fort Wayne, Ind. PFW took last season's contest, 94-49 in Ypsilanti, Nov. 21, 2024.
» Eastern most recently triumphed in a 52-41 win over St. Thomas, Nov. 14, for its second win of the season. The Eagles used a 26-4 points off turnovers advantage to secure the road victory.
» Eastern returns just Sisi Eleko and Brooklyn Thrash from the 2024-25 squad as it totals 13 newcomers, six of which came via the transfer portal.
» Eastern has nine international players on the roster, tying for the fourth-most in the nation and most in the MAC. Wagner has the most with 13.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE MASTODONS
The Eagles and Mastodons are matching up for the fifth time Wednesday night as EMU is 3-1 against PFW overall and 1-0 when facing it in Fort Wayne, Ind. The Eagles average 69.0 points per game against PFW as the two institutions are meeting in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2018-19 season and 2019-20 campaign.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE MASTODONS
The Mastodons controlled the contest for its entirety as they started the game on an 8-0 run, leading to a 21-11 advantage after the first quarter and a 51-20 lead at halftime. PFW built as much as a 47-point advantage as it cruised to a 94-49 win in Ypsilanti.

Individually, Sisi Eleko collected her third consecutive double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Olivia Smith scored 12 points off a perfect 6-for-6 showing from the free-throw line.

ALL-TIME VS. THE HORIZON LEAGUE
Eastern is no stranger to the Horizon League as the game between EMU and PFW will be the 98th against current HL institutions with the Eagles holding a 55-42 advantage. EMU faced two HL teams last season in Purdue Fort Wayne and Detroit Mercy, dropping the game against the Mastodons, 94-49, Nov. 21, and the tilt against the Titans, 72-61, Nov. 26, in what was the first occurrence in program history of the Eagles facing HL opponents in consecutive games.

LAST TIME OUT
Eastern secured a 52-41 road win at St. Thomas, Nov. 14, battling to victory in a back-and-forth defensive game that saw EMU hold a 26-4 points off turnovers advantage.

» The win matched Eastern's 2024-25 win total just four games into the 2025-26 campaign.
» Eastern out-rebounded the Tommies, 37-33, while also totaling more assists (10-4), blocks (2-0), fast-break points (10-0), steals (13-8), and points off turnovers (26-4).
» Eastern shot over 80% from the free-throw line (86.7%) for the third time this season as it has done so in 3-of-4 contests. EMU is 2-1 this season when shooting 80% or better from the free-throw line.
» Eastern's 13 steals marked a season high for the Eagles and the most in the Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh era.
» Sisi Eleko notched her second double-double of the season and 16th as an Eagle as she posted 14 points with a game-high 13 rebounds while shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She collected her fourth consecutive double-digit scoring outing of the season, elevating her career total to 71. Additionally, Eleko's 13 rebounds are the second-most from a MAC player this season.
» Sisi Eleko is the only MAC player with multiple double-doubles this season.
» Peyton Hill scored 15 points with four rebounds for the fourth straight double-digit scoring game of her career.
» Brooklyn Thrash had a game-high four steals, tying for the most in her career and marking her first game with three or more steals this season. Thrash's four steals rank as the third-most in the conference by value in a single game.

LAST TIME OUT CONTINUED
» Ainhoa Cea nearly posted a double-double of her own with 11 points and nine assists. Her nine dimes are the most she's had as an Eagle and ranks as the third-most in the MAC by an individual in a single game this season. Moreover, Cea's nine assists are the most from an Eagle since Mackenzie Amalia dished 12 in the season-opening game against Texas State last season, Nov. 4, 2024.
» Fernanda Ovalle notched seven points while recording three steals for her second career game with three or more steals and first since arriving at EMU.

LOCKDOWN D
Eastern has excelled on the defensive end of the court to start the season. It ranks third in the MAC , allowing an average of 63.0 points per game as it is limiting foes to a 24.3% rate from three-point range and 40.1% clip from the field, numbers that rank third and fourth in the conference, respectively.

Eastern has held two opponents (Canisius, 39; St. Thomas, 41) to 41 points or less this season for the first time since 2019-20, when it held Olivet to 38 points in a 95-38 victory, Nov. 8, before besting Purdue Fort Wayne, 64-40, Dec. 10.

EVEN THROUGH FOUR
Eastern Michigan is 2-2 through its first four games of the season for the first time since it started 4-0 in the 2022-23 campaign. Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh is off to her first 2-2 start as a head coach since her Canisius Golden Griffins started 2-2 in the 2023-24 season, eventually finishing with a 17-14 (11-9 MAAC) record and a first-round win in the conference tournament over Manhattan, 58-55, March 14.

DOUBLING UP
Eastern has doubled its 2024-25 season total in a multitude of winning categories. Both of Eastern's two wins (Canisius, Nov. 7; St. Thomas, Nov. 14) have come on the road, doubling the amount of road victories from last season as it won just one game away from Ypsilanti, a 76-72 win at Northern Illinois, Feb. 22. Eastern has also doubled its amount of non-conference wins from last season. It holds two after the win over St. Thomas, Nov. 14, and had just one last season, a 72-60 comeback win over Xavier, Dec. 1, 2024.

ROAD DAWGS
Eastern has the opportunity to increase its win total to three on the season with a victory at PFW, Nov. 19. Should the Eagles win, it would mark the first time their first three wins of the season all came on the road since the 2020-21 campaign. That year, EMU opened with a road-win at Southern Illinois, Nov. 25, before besting Ball State in Muncie, Ind., in the MAC opener, Dec. 2, and topping Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Dec. 6.

MONEY FROM THE LINE
Eastern shot 83.3% (20-for-24) from the free-throw line against Louisiana Monroe, Nov. 3, a figure that ranks inside the program top 20 for a single game. EMU's 91% (10-for-11) clip from the free-throw line ranks third in the conference as Eastern is shooting 83.1% (49-for-59) from the charity stripe as a team this season, ranking first in the MAC and 11th in the country. Although just four games in, EMU's 83.1% free-throw percentage would serve as the team's single-season program record.

FIVE STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD
Eastern is opening the season with five straight road games, marking its first stretch of five or more consecutive road games since it had six straight on the road, Nov. 24-Dec. 15, 2023-24, producing a 1-5 record. EMU is opening the season with five straight games on the road for the first time since the 1996-97 season. The Eagles went 2-3 in that stretch as they have an opportunity to better that season's record with a win against the Mastodons Wednesday night that would give them a 3-2 record through their first five games.

LOOKING FOR 3-2 START
Eastern has the chance to start 3-2 or better for the first time since the 2022-23 season when it started the year 5-0. A 3-2 start this season would be the first of Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh's career.

SISI STILL GOT IT
Sisi Eleko has picked up where she left off from the 2024-25 season. Named Preseason First Team All-MAC, Eleko has scored at least 10 in all four games this season as she is one of two MAC players to rank inside the top five in points per game, rebounds per game OR assists per game, and minutes per game. Eleko currently averages 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 34.0 minutes per game.

ELEKO PROGRAM DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Sisi Eleko's 16 double-doubles are tied for fourth on the program's all-time list (since 1997) with Ryan Coleman (2002-06) and Nikki Knapp (2002-06). Should Eleko add another double-double against PFW, she would total 17 and sit in a tie for second with Olivia Fouty (2010-14) and Sarah VanMetre (2003-07). Eleko most recently had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 52-41 win at St. Thomas, Nov. 14.

ELEKO IN THE NATIONAL STANDINGS
Sisi Eleko has two double-doubles on the season, a figure that leads the MAC and ranks 13th nationally. Her 8.5 defensive rebounds per game also lead the conference and rank 18th nationally while she slots fourth in the MAC in total rebounds per game (9.8), checking in at No. 50 in America.

ELEKO PRESEASON ALL-MAC FIRST TEAM
Senior Sisi Eleko was named Preseason All-MAC First Team, Oct. 21. The 2024-25 All-MAC Second Team selection led the MAC with 14 double-doubles last season and was the only player to average one in the conference. She also paced the conference with 10.1 rebounds per game, becoming the only MAC player to average double-digit boards, and slotted second with 17.9 points per game.

HISTORIC OPPONENT SHOOTING PERCENTAGE
Eastern held Canisius to 16.7% shooting in a 70-39 win, Nov. 7, its lowest opponent field goal percentage since at least the 2002 season. It marks the first time Eastern has held an opponent under 19% shooting since it held NAIA Rochester to an 18.2% clip in a 108-24 win, Dec. 9, 2009.

STRONG START: PEYTON HILL
Peyton Hill is the first EMU freshman to record double-digit points in her first four NCAA games since at least 2004. She's the first freshman to do so in any four consecutive games since Aalyiah Stanley did so in the 2019-20 season, scoring double-digits in four of the last five games of the season, Jan. 11-22. Hill is looking to become the first EMU freshman to score double-digit points in five straight games since Courtnie Lewis rattled off 11 straight 10+ outings in the 2017-18 season, Jan. 6-Feb. 17, 2018.

Moreover, Hill has missed just one free throw this season as she is 16-of-17 (94.1%) from the line, the second-best mark in the conference, best from a freshman, and best from any MAC player that has shot at least 10 free throws. Hill's 94.1% clip ranks 36th nationally.

BIG FRESHMAN DEBUT: PEYTON HILL
Freshman Peyton Hill had a strong performance in her first collegiate game, scoring 15 points while shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line with four assists and three rebounds against Louisiana Monroe, Nov. 3. Hill's 15 points were the most from an EMU freshman in their NCAA debut since Courtnie Lewis scored 18 in her NCAA debut against Florida A&M, Nov. 10, 2017.

BELIEVE'S BIG DEBUT
Freshman Believe Tshibangu erupted for 14 points and nine rebounds off 7-for-7 shooting in just 14 minutes in the 70-39 win over Canisius, Nov. 7. Her nine rebounds in an NCAA debut are the most from an Eagle in their first NCAA game since Tori Easley grabbed 10 in her collegiate debut against Kent State – Tuscarawas, Nov. 14, 2014. Tshibangu is the first Eagle to post a 14-point/nine-rebound stat line in an NCAA debut since at least the 2011-12 season. Additionally, Tshibangu's nine rebounds are the third-most in a single game from a MAC freshman this season as Buffalo's Meg Lucas leads the MAC with 14 single-game rebounds after previously totaling 11.

AINHOA'S ASSISTS
Senior Ainhoa Cea has distributed the ball effectively in her first four games as an Eagle. Cea has dished at least five dimes in all four games with her highest total being nine at St. Thomas, Nov. 14. Cea's nine assists against the Tommies are the third-most in a single game in the MAC. Cea's 6.5 assists per game lead the conference and rank 17th nationally while her 26 total dimes slot second in the MAC and 23rd in the country. The senior's 6.5 assists per game average is the highest from an Eagle since at least 2011-12.

AINHOA'S MINUTES
Ainhoa Cea has handled significant minutes on the court as she slots second in the MAC and 13th in America averaging 36.60 minutes per game. Cea's 36.60 minutes per game are a career high and stand roughly 7.9 minutes more than her previous career high of 28.8 MPG. She most recently played 38 minutes in the 52-41 win over St. Thomas, Nov. 14, after recording a career-high 40 minutes in the season opener at Louisiana Monroe, Nov. 3.

UPCOMING MILESTONES
Ainhoa Cea is 20 points away from 500, 114 assists from the same total, and 114 rebounds away from 500. Fernanda Ovalle needs 233 points to reach the 500 mark. Sisi Eleko needs 186 rebounds to reach 1,000, is 191 points from 1,500, and needs 14 double-doubles to reach 50 in her NCAA tenure. Furthermore, Eleko needs 17 total double-doubles to tie for the most in program history and 18 to be the sole record owner.

SHOOTING STREAK
The Eagles have recorded at least one three-pointer in 136 consecutive games, the third-longest stretch since the start of the 1999-00 season. The longest streak in that period is 281 games, which started with seven makes at Northern Illinois, Jan. 31, 2002, and ended with no makes in the MAC Tournament, March 11, 2011, against Toledo. The second-longest lasted 157 games and started Dec. 9, 2014, until no makes halted the streak, Nov. 29, 2020, against visiting UIC.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern returns home for the first time in 2025-26 as it will open the home portion of its non-conference slate with a 1 p.m. tipoff against the Colonials of Robert Morris University Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at emueagles.evenue.net/list/WB.

FOLLOW US
Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUWBB and @EMUAthletics on X for all the latest EMU women's basketball updates. Be sure to also follow the Eagles on Instagram @emuwbb and @emuathletics

Women's Basketball Wraps Up Road Trip at Purdue Fort Wayne Wednesday Night

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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Amalia

Ainhoa Cea

Sisi Eleko

Peyton Hill

Fernanda Ovalle

Olivia Smith

Brooklyn Thrash

Believe Tshibangu

Eastern Michigan Athletics